Peter's blog

   English Version - *version française dessous*     WE’RE MOVING… AND YOU CAN SAVE 40%! One Time Gallery Moving Sale: April 7th – May 19th, 2025   As we prepare to move from the Old Port of Montreal to our new location in Pointe-Claire, we’re inviting you to take part in a special one-time Gallery Moving Sale — a thank-you to all who have supported us over the past 12 years.   From April 1st to May 19th, you can enjoy 40% OFF all original paintings (shipping and taxes are additional).   For example, using a $1,000 painting we will give you 40% off or $400 and you will only pay $600 plus shipping and taxes.   You will also receive a Certificate of Authenticity.   Now is the perfect time to acquire a piece you’ve had your eye on — or to find something new before we transition to our new home.   To purchase or learn more, visit us at the gallery or contact us:   Email:   contact@PETERwHART.com Phone: ...

English Version - *version française dessous*   MY FAVOURITE MUSEUM IN THE WORLD   Francine and I have visited many museums during our travels but, without a doubt, our favourite is Musée D’Orsay in Paris.   Situated on the Left Bank of the Seine, it was originally a train station.  In 1970 the plan was to demolish the structure and build a hotel but the then Cultural Minister killed the plan, and the building ended up on the list of Historic Monuments.  In the late 70’s it was decided to convert it into a museum that would bridge the gap between the Louvre and more modern Georges Pompidou Centre which housed contemporary and modern art.     The first time I visited the museum was in 1996, ten years after it opened. I was with my dad and eldest son Jonathan.  We were together on a “boys” trip and had a brief layover in Paris.  I will never forget walking into the main hall of the Museum, it was so beautiful and different...

  English Version - *version française dessous*     ARTIST OF THE MONTH!    Artists in Montreal (AIM) is a wonderful organization which was founded in 2021 by Cathy Keays.  Her vision was to create a platform to provide a community of support for local artists where members could connect, share and showcase their work.  Today there are over 200 members.    Every month AIM selects an “Artist of the Month” and I’m very proud to kick off 2025 as January’s Artist of the Month!  You can read my interview and see some of my paintings by following this link : https://www.artistsinmontreal.com/copy-of-artist-of-the-month   For those of you who would like to learn more about AIM or join Cathy’s wonderful organization please visit artistsinmontreal.com   Version française   ARTISTE DU MOIS !   Artistes à Montréal (AIM) est une merveilleuse organisation fondée en 2021 par Cathy Keays. Sa vision était de cr...

English Version - *version française dessous*   HANGING OUT WITH MONET  Monet inspired me to paint.  In the early 1990s, I travelled to Boston to see an exhibit of Monet’s “series paintings”.  These were motifs Monet painted multiple times during different times of the day, under differing weather conditions and times of the year.  These motifs included haystacks, poplar trees, the Cathedral at Rouen and of course, the bridges and ponds of his garden in Giverny.  Since that trip I have done my best to “hang out with Monet”!  Here are a few of my very hang outs: Giverny… Monet’s Home & Garden Giverny is about 50 miles from Paris and can be easily accessed by car or train.  I have visited there several times, once during the off season.  You can visit Monet’s home and his gardens which include the famous Japanese Bridge.  Be sure to visit the souvenir shop… not to buy souvenir but to stand in what was his last studio.  Monet is bu...

English Version - *version française dessous* ONE OF MY TREASURED PLACES… BONNET HOUSE Francine and I love cruising and many of them leave from Fort Lauderdale.   Usually, we arrive a day before the cruise’s departure date and likewise, we usually stay a day or two upon our return.   We call them “off days”.   It was during one of these “off days” almost ten years ago that we stumbled across Bonnet House Museum and Gardens.   We make it a point to visit Bonnet House every time we are in Fort Lauderdale.   It is a magical place!   The house goes back to 1920 and was built by Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife Helen.   The Bartletts came from wealthy families based in Chicago both were connected to what became True Value Hardware.   Bartlett wanted to become a painter, and his father subsidized a European art education with the proviso, that once completed he needed to sell his paintings.     The Bartletts were also early co...

    English Version - *version française dessous* COLOUR OUTSIDE THE BOX I first expressed an interest in painting during the 1988 Christmas holidays.   I was leafing through a book on the Courtaulds Impressionist collection.   I had gone through this book before, but this time, when I saw paintings by Degas and Monet, something moved within me.   It was a particularly stressful time in my life, and said perhaps I’d like to try and paint.   So that was my Christmas gift!   A small oil painting set with a cardboard canvas along with instructions on how to start painting.   A few months later, I opened my gift and started to paint. I followed the detailed instructions in the booklet.   To be frank, it was almost like painting by numbers!   But I was hooked!   I had no sense of time and got lost in the painting.   In the following years, I copied (or try to copy LOL!) many of the most famous paintings the impressionists ...

  English Version - *version française dessous*   PICKUP A BRUSH AND PAINT! Over the years, I have met many people who visited the gallery or my studio who expressed a wish they could paint.  I always tell them my story... I only started painting at 38.  I had no real artistic inclinations and started painting to relieve the stress in my professional and personal life.  I also tell them about many others who took up painting later in life.  Probably one of the most famous being Grandma Moses who only took up painting at the “young” age of 78! ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Moses ), Recently, I came across a fascinating article published in “ Frontiers For Public Health” which stated arts and crafts can boost happiness levels more than having a good job.  It didn’t matter who you were, what you did… painting, crafting, knitting, whatever… the mere act of creating something was great for your happiness levels. I ...

   English Version - *version française dessous* MY FIRST RULE OF PAINTING… THERE ARE NO RULES ! I was not a very good student.   I barely got out of high school.  It was only later in life that I realized, I loved to learn, I just hated to be taught.  Mark Twain, one of my favourite authors, had a great quote which resonated with me…. “don’t let schooling interfere with your education”.  This quote hangs on a plaque on my studio inspiration wall.   I’m often asked whether I give lessons on painting. My answers always the same… “no, I will paint with you, but I will not teach you”.  The reason is quite simple, I’ve never taken art lessons or been formally schooled.  I am self taught and as a consequence, would not be comfortable definitively saying this is the way to do something.   I remember a group of young girls visiting the Gallery one day. One of them was crying and I asked her if she was okay. She said she was an art st...